Patch panels are used in the field of data communication systems to provide a plurality of network ports that can be incorporated into a single structural element. Such a structural element can connect incoming and outgoing lines of any suitable network (e.g., a local area network (LAN)), or connect other communication, electronic, and electrical systems. Patch panels are often mounted in hardware units that can include a plurality of port locations (e.g., twenty-four, forty-eight, etc.) and can function as a sort of static switchboard (e.g., using cables to interconnect computers associated with a LAN and/or to connect computers to an outside network). This could involve a connection to the Internet or to a wide area network (WAN).